Classifications

• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C08—ORGANIC MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS; THEIR PREPARATION OR CHEMICAL WORKING-UP; COMPOSITIONS BASED THEREON
  • C08G—MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS OBTAINED OTHERWISE THAN BY REACTIONS ONLY INVOLVING UNSATURATED CARBON-TO-CARBON BONDS
  • C08G77/00—Macromolecular compounds obtained by reactions forming a linkage containing silicon with or without sulfur, nitrogen, oxygen or carbon in the main chain of the macromolecule
  • C08G77/42—Block-or graft-polymers containing polysiloxane sequences
  • C08G77/452—Block-or graft-polymers containing polysiloxane sequences containing nitrogen-containing sequences
  • C08G77/455—Block-or graft-polymers containing polysiloxane sequences containing nitrogen-containing sequences containing polyamide, polyesteramide or polyimide sequences
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C08—ORGANIC MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS; THEIR PREPARATION OR CHEMICAL WORKING-UP; COMPOSITIONS BASED THEREON
  • C08G—MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS OBTAINED OTHERWISE THAN BY REACTIONS ONLY INVOLVING UNSATURATED CARBON-TO-CARBON BONDS
  • C08G73/00—Macromolecular compounds obtained by reactions forming a linkage containing nitrogen with or without oxygen or carbon in the main chain of the macromolecule, not provided for in groups C08G12/00 - C08G71/00
  • C08G73/06—Polycondensates having nitrogen-containing heterocyclic rings in the main chain of the macromolecule
  • C08G73/10—Polyimides; Polyester-imides; Polyamide-imides; Polyamide acids or similar polyimide precursors
  • C08G73/1003—Preparatory processes
  • C08G73/1007—Preparatory processes from tetracarboxylic acids or derivatives and diamines
  • C08G73/1021—Preparatory processes from tetracarboxylic acids or derivatives and diamines characterised by the catalyst used
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C08—ORGANIC MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS; THEIR PREPARATION OR CHEMICAL WORKING-UP; COMPOSITIONS BASED THEREON
  • C08G—MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS OBTAINED OTHERWISE THAN BY REACTIONS ONLY INVOLVING UNSATURATED CARBON-TO-CARBON BONDS
  • C08G73/00—Macromolecular compounds obtained by reactions forming a linkage containing nitrogen with or without oxygen or carbon in the main chain of the macromolecule, not provided for in groups C08G12/00 - C08G71/00
  • C08G73/06—Polycondensates having nitrogen-containing heterocyclic rings in the main chain of the macromolecule
  • C08G73/10—Polyimides; Polyester-imides; Polyamide-imides; Polyamide acids or similar polyimide precursors
  • C08G73/1003—Preparatory processes
  • C08G73/1007—Preparatory processes from tetracarboxylic acids or derivatives and diamines
  • C08G73/1028—Preparatory processes from tetracarboxylic acids or derivatives and diamines characterised by the process itself, e.g. steps, continuous

Definitions

• This invention relates to new compositions of matter convertible to linear polyimides, and to a method for their preparation.
• Linear polyimides and polyetherimides are well known commercially available polymers having advantageous properties including thermooxidative resistance, good mechanical strength, excellent electrical properties and good chemical resistance. They are normally prepared by the reaction of at least one tetracarboxylic acid derivative, typically a dianhydride, with at least one diamine.
• U.S. Patent 4,644,053 discloses cyclic polycarbonate oligomer compositions convertible to linear polycarbonates of high molecular weight.
• Corresponding macrocyclic polyester compositions having similar capabilities are disclosed, for example, in U.S. Patents 4,829,144 (polyarylates) and 5,039,783.
• polyimides are prepared in a two-step method, the first step being reaction of the diamine with a tetracarboxylic acid dianhydride to form a polyamic acid and the second step being conversion of the polyamic acid to a polyimide with elimination of water.
• Methods of this type are generally limited to the preparation of relatively thin polyimide films, since it is necessary to remove volatiles (e.g., water and the solvents employed) without causing formation of bubbles and voids.
• volatiles e.g., water and the solvents employed
• the polyimides are extremely difficult to process after formation because of their lack of solubility in common solvents, high glass transition temperatures and extremely high melt viscosities, typically in excess of one million poise at 300°C. Thus, operations such as injection molding cannot be performed.
• U.S. Patent 4,980,453 discloses numerous types of macrocyclic oligomers, including polyimide oligomers, containing spiro(bis)indane moieties. Compounds containing such moieties are disclosed as being uniquely and generically capable of forming a broad spectrum of macrocyclic oligomers, generally in preference to linear polymers.
• the present invention provides a genus of macrocyclic polyimide oligomers not containing spiro(bis)indane moieties, as well as a method for their preparation. Said oligomers are easily converted to linear polyimides via a ring-opening polymerization procedure.
• the invention includes compositions comprising macrocyclic polyimide oligomers of the formula wherein each A1 is independently a mono- or polycyclic aromatic radical, each R1 is independently a non-silicon-containing organic radical or a bis(alkylene)polydiorganosiloxane radical and n is at least 1; with the proviso that neither A1 nor R1 contains a spiro(bis)indane moiety.
• compositions of formula I may be mono- or polycyclic aromatic radicals.
• An illustrative monocyclic radical is that derived from pyromellitic acid.
• A1 is a polycyclic radical and especially a radical of the formula wherein R2 is a single bond or R2 is a divalent aliphatic or alicyclic radical or halogenated derivative thereof containing about 1-12 carbon atoms, -O-, -CO-, -S-, -SO2-, -O-Q-O-, -S-Q-S- or -SO2-Q-SO2- and Q is a divalent aliphatic or aromatic radical.
• particularly preferred A1 radicals are those having the formulas and The isomers in which the free bonds are in the 3,4-positions are especially preferred.
• BPATA 2,2-bis[4-(3,4-dicarboxyphenoxy)phenyl]propane and 2,2-bis(3,4-dicarboxyphenyl)-1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoropropane
• BPATA 2,2-bis[4-(3,4-dicarboxyphenoxy)phenyl]propane
• 6FTA 2,2-bis(3,4-dicarboxyphenyl)-1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoropropane
• the R1 value may be a non-silicon-containing organic radical or a bis(alkylene)polydiorganosiloxane, typically bis(alkylene)polydimethylsiloxane, radical.
• Organic radicals are generally preferred. They include aromatic and especially C6 ⁇ 20 aromatic radicals, as illustrated by m-phenylene, p-phenylene, bis(4-phenylene)methane and bis(4-phenylene) ether radicals, and aliphatic radicals, especially C2 ⁇ 20 aliphatic radicals such as ethylene, trimethylene, hexamethylene and neopentylene.
• aromatic radicals are generally preferred, and especially the m-phenylene and 1,3-bis(4-phenyleneoxy)benzene radicals; i.e., those present in m-phenylenediamine and 1,3-bis(4-aminophenoxy)benzene.
• Macrocyclic copolyimides are within the scope of the invention. These are compositions containing structural units with A1 and/or R1 groups having more than one molecular structure.
• structural unit means a repeating unit in a linear or macrocyclic polymer or oligomer molecule.
• the present invention does not include compositions in which either A1 or R1 contains a spiro(bis)indane moiety.
• A1 or R1 contains a spiro(bis)indane moiety.
• compounds containing such moieties have a unique capability of forming macrocyclic oligomers, and the methods for preparing such oligomers are not generically applicable to the preparation of macrocyclic polyimides.
• n is at least 1; i.e., the compositions of the invention include macrocyclic "monomers” as well as oligomers having degrees of polymerization of at least 2 and especially up to about 12. For the most part, said compositions are mixtures of oligomers having the same structural units but differing degrees of polymerization.
• Another aspect of the invention is a method for preparing a composition comprising macrocyclic polyimide oligomers which comprises reacting (A) at least one diamine of the formula H2N-R3-NH2 with (B) at least one aromatic tetracarboxylic acid of the formula A2(COOH)4 or dianhydride thereof, wherein A2 is a tetravalent mono- or polycyclic aromatic radical and R3 is a divalent non-silicon-containing organic radical or a bis(alkylene)polydiorganosiloxane radical, at least one phenolic compound also being present as a coreactant if reagent B is a tetracarboxylic acid and preferably present in any event; said diamine and tetracarboxylic acid being maintained in high dilution in a substantially non-polar organic liquid and in equimolar proportions throughout the contacting procedure.
• the preferred A2 and R2 radicals are those previously described with respect to A1 and R1 respectively
• the substantially non-polar organic liquids employed in the method of this invention are preferably liquids which form azeotropic mixtures with water.
• Aromatic hydrocarbons such as toluene and xylene are often especially preferred.
• reagents A and B be maintained in equimolar proportions throughout the procedure.
• a tetracarboxylic acid as reagent B and to feed a mixture of equimolar proportions of reagents A and B, dissolved in a common solvent, to a reaction vessel containing the organic liquid and phenolic compound.
• the solvent is generally a polar organic liquid, especially an ether such as tetrahydrofuran or diethylene glycol dimethyl ether, ethers being excellent solvents for the tetracarboxylic acid and diamine.
• tetracarboxylic acid-diamine solution a small proportion of water, typically up to about 5% by weight based on combined reagents A and B and solvent.
• water typically up to about 5% by weight based on combined reagents A and B and solvent.
• a dianhydride as reagent B.
• this is often not as convenient as the employment of a tetracarboxylic acid since dianhydrides tend to react with diamines immediately upon blending, forming linear polyamic acids. It is thus necessary in this case to charge reagents A and B separately into the reaction vessel, and such introduction in precisely equimolar proportions is difficult.
• phenolic compound such as phenol, o-cresol, m-cresol, p-cresol or a chlorophenol. It is believed that the function of the phenolic compound is to interact as an acid coreactant with free amine groups present in the reaction mixture, suppressing attack by such groups on the macrocyclic oligomers formed but permitting reaction with more acidic carboxylic acid groups to form said oligomers.
• the phenolic compound is usually present in substantial excess, typically in a molar ratio to reagent A of at least about 20:1 and preferably at least about 40:1.
• At least one conventional polyimide formation catalyst typically a phosphinic acid salt such as sodium phenylphosphinate or a heterocyclic amine such as 4-dimethylaminopyridine. It is employed in catalytic proportions, generally about 1-5 mole percent based on reagent B, and is generally present in admixture with the organic liquid and phenolic compound.
• reagents A and B be maintained in high dilution during the procedure. This is generally easy to achieve via "pseudo-high dilution" techniques, by adding said reagents gradually to the combination of organic liquid and phenolic compound whereupon rapid reaction takes place. Thus, product concentration increases but the concentration of reactants remains relatively low.
• the total volume of combined organic liquid and phenolic compound is at least 10 ml. per gram of reagents A and B combined.
• BPATA 7.692 grams (13.82 mmol.), and m-phenylenediamine, 1.495 grams (13.82 mmol.), were dissolved in 20 ml. of tetrahydrofuran under nitrogen and the clear solution was charged to an addition funnel.
• the contents of the flask were heated to reflux under nitrogen and the solution in the funnel was added dropwise over 11 hours, with a mixture of water, tetrahydrofuran and toluene being removed by distillation.
• the toluene was replenished (total addition 35 ml.) during the reaction and the temperature in the flask was maintained at 145-155°C.
• the filtration residue was extracted with acetonitrile in a Soxhlet extractor, whereupon an additional 124 mg. of macrocyclic oligomers was isolated. A further 750 mg. was isolated by extraction with tetrahydrofuran.
• the total yield of material melting at 215-260°C was 1.38 grams, or 17% of theoretical.
• the purified material had melt viscosities at 330°, 300° and 280°C of 10, 45 and 350 poise, respectively.
• a 1-liter 3-necked flask equipped with a thermometer, distillation adapter and addition funnel was charged under nitrogen with 300 ml. of m-cresol, 50 ml. of toluene and 100 mg. of sodium phenylphosphinate.
• the addition funnel was charged under nitrogen with a solution of 24.01 grams (50 mmol.) of 6FTA and 5.407 grams (50 mmol.) of m-phenylenediamine.
• the flask was heated to reflux in an oil bath and the solution in the addition funnel was added over 8-1/2 hours, with removal of water, tetrahydrofuran and a portion of the toluene by distillation.
• the reaction temperature was maintained at about 165°C.
• the toluene was replenished during the reaction to a total amount of 50 ml.
• the dried material was extracted overnight with a 1:5 (by volume) mixture of methylcyclohexane and toluene in a Soxhlet extractor.
• the extracts were evaporated, washed with methanol and dried.
• the residue after extraction was further extracted with toluene and the extracts were evaporated to dryness.
• there was obtained 7.68 grams (30% of theoretical) of the desired macrocyclic polyimide oligomers (n 1 or greater), as confirmed by field desorption mass spectroscopy.
• a 1-liter 3-necked flask equipped with an addition funnel and a 20-cm. distillation column packed with glass helices was charged under nitrogen with 150 ml. of m-cresol, 50 ml. of toluene and 100 mg. of sodium phenylphosphinate.
• a solution of 12.460 grams (25.94 mmol.) of 6FTA and 7.584 grams (25.94 mmol.) of 1,3-bis(4-aminophenoxy)benzene in 75 ml. of tetrahydrofuran was charged to the addition funnel.
• the flask was heated to reflux in an oil bath and the solution in the funnel was added dropwise over 7 hours, with distillation of water, tetrahydrofuran and toluene.
• the temperature in the flask was maintained at about 155°C and the toluene was replenished to a total of 10 ml.
• the macrocyclic polyimide oligomer compositions of this invention may be converted to linear polyimides by heating with a primary amine as initiator in the presence of a macrocyclic polyimide polymerization catalyst. This method of conversion is disclosed and claimed in copending, commonly owned application Serial No. 08/80,864.
• the amine attacks one of the polyimide carbonyl groups, opening the corresponding imide ring and forming a macrocyclic diamide which, upon reimidization through the nitrogen atom of the initiator, undergoes a macrocyclic ring-opening reaction to produce an amine-terminated linear polyimide oligomer.
• the latter is capable of further undergoing reaction with additional macrocyclic polyimide molecules to produce a high molecular weight linear polyimide.
• linear polyimides from macrocyclic oligomers has the advantage that said polyimides can conveniently be prepared in bulk rather than merely in the form of thin films, since no removal of solvent or water is necessary.
• the macrocyclic oligomers have melt viscosities several orders of magnitude lower than that of a corresponding linear polyimide, whereby they are adapted to molding and extrusion.
• linear polyimides may be prepared in situ during such operations, in similar fashion to the preparation of linear polycarbonates and polyesters from macrocyclic oligomers as known in the art.
• Any primary amine may be employed as an initiator in the conversion of the macrocyclic oligomers to linear polyimides.
• Illustrative amines are stearylamine and 2,2-bis[4-(4-aminophenoxy)phenyl]propane, hereinafter "BAPP".
• the materials which may be employed as macrocyclic polyimide oligomer polymerization catalysts are alkaline earth and transition metals such as magnesium and zinc; salts thereof, such as magnesium sulfate, magnesium acetate, zinc acetate, cobalt acetate, copper(ll) acetate, antimony tri-n-butoxide or tetra-n-butyl titanate; and alkali metal hydroxides and salts such as potassium hydroxide and lithium bromide.
• the activity of these compounds has been demonstrated in a model reaction of N-phenylphthalimide with p-toluidine.
• the particularly preferred catalysts are the transition metal carboxylates such as cobalt acetate and zinc salicylate.
• the proportion of amine employed for polymerization is at least about 1 and preferably about 1-10 mole percent. Typical catalyst proportions are about 0.5-1.0 mole percent. Both proportions are based on structural units in the macrocyclic oligomers. Polymerization is typically conducted in a sealed vessel.
• Macrocyclic polyetherimide oligomers prepared substantially according to the method of Example 1 were combined with various proportions of amines dissolved in methanol and aqueous solutions of various salts as catalysts, and the resulting mixtures were dried in a nitrogen atmosphere.
• the dried mixtures were charged to a glass ampoule which was sealed and immersed in a molten salt bath at 330°C for various time periods.
• the ampoules were then quenched in cold water and opened, and the contents were analyzed by high pressure liquid chromatography and gel permeation chromatography. The results are given in the following table. Catalyst Amine Time, min.
• the macrocyclic oligomer compositions of this invention have many utilities. For example, they may be combined with fibrous reinforcing materials such as continuous or chopped glass, carbon, boron or highly oriented polyamide fibers to form fibrous composite prepregs capable of polymerization, and to form composites directly from fibrous preforms in such operations as resin transfer molding.
• the macrocyclic oligomers may also be combined with non-fibrous filler materials, which are of particular utility at high ratios of filler to oligomers by reason of their low viscosities.
• the macrocyclic oligomers may be combined with other thermoplastic and thermosetting polymers, especially aromatic polymers such as polycarbonates, polystyrenes, polyphenylene ethers, poly(alkylene terephthalates), polyaramides, polysulfones, polyetherketones and polyimides (including polyetherimides) to produce blends in which, in some instances, the macrocyclic oligomers may serve as plasticizers for easy flow.
• aromatic polymers such as polycarbonates, polystyrenes, polyphenylene ethers, poly(alkylene terephthalates), polyaramides, polysulfones, polyetherketones and polyimides (including polyetherimides) to produce blends in which, in some instances, the macrocyclic oligomers may serve as plasticizers for easy flow.
• reactive linear oligomers e.g., polyimide oligomers with reactive end groups, crosslinkable oligomers such as polyepoxy compounds and bismaleimides
• reactive linear oligomers e.g., polyimide oligomers with reactive end groups, crosslinkable oligomers such as polyepoxy compounds and bismaleimides
• Materials convertible upon polymerization to insulating materials may be fabricated by combining the macrocyclic oligomer compositions with microbubbles (e.g., of glass) or by foaming them during polymerization with various blowing agents known in the art.
• microbubbles e.g., of glass

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• Macromolecular Compounds Obtained By Forming Nitrogen-Containing Linkages In General (AREA)
• Nitrogen Condensed Heterocyclic Rings (AREA)
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• Polymers With Sulfur, Phosphorus Or Metals In The Main Chain (AREA)

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